USS Franklin Timeline

USS Franklin May 4 1944

The USS Franklin (CV-13) played a key role in the operations of Task Force 58 during the march across the Central Pacific. If ever there was a gallant ship, she was one. Here is a timeline, courtesy of the book, “USS Franklin (CV-13) Original Documents 1943-1946.” pp. 76-77 (Courtesy of Don Price) 7-Dec-42 Keel laid…

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Navigator Stephen Jurika

Lieutenant Junior Grade Stephen Jurika, Jr. circa 1942. US Navy photo

One of the most fascinating people involved in the events onboard the USS Franklin was Stephen Jurika. Born in California, his family moved to the Philippines during his childhood. He grew up speaking several languages including Japanese, and after graduating from the US Naval Academy in 1933, served on board several cruisers before entering the…

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Who Says Admirals Don’t Have A Sense of Humor?

Map of the Pacific Theater from the book, "Carrier War."

I’ve been immersing myself in “all things Task Force 58,” which means reading books such as “The Fast Carriers: The Forging of An Air Navy,” and “Task Force 58: The US Navy’s Fast Carrier Strike Force That Won The war in the Pacific.” Both are extremely informative and have been very useful in teaching me…

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15 Facebook Groups I Use For Research

When I was in high school, my English teachers taught me to use the library’s card catalog, the Dewey Decimal System, and 3X5 cards as tools in my research. (Pause here to fondly recall the A- I received on my paper about George Armstrong Custer.) Nowadays, I use tools such as Google Scholar, Zotero, and…

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My Three Phases of Research

US Navy Chain of Command In the Pacific Ocean Area

At my Toastmasters meeting yesterday,  a fellow member asked me when my book would be ready. I told him it would be a while as I was still early in my research phase. It occurs to me that you might be interested in my research plan. PHASE ONE: SECONDARY SOURCES My research will consist of…

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Did This City Skip Celebrating The Fourth of July?

Today is July 4th, known as Independence Day in the US. From coast to coast there will be fireworks, family get-togethers, and parades. But it wasn’t always that way. There was one city that some say did not celebrate Independence Day for more than 80 years  following the Civil War. During that war, control of…

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“Battle of Midway” Webinar June 30, 2022

My calendar just reminded me that the National Museum of the Pacific War is hosting a webinar, “After the Battle of Midway,” co-presented by Craig Symonds, Professor Emeritus at the United States Naval Academy, and Chris McDougal,  Director of Archives and Library at the National Museum. I’ve attended many presentations and read many of Professor…

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A Ship To Remember

Recently, my wife and I were in San Antonio, Texas. Having some free time on our hands, we visited a used bookstore, The Antiquarian Book Mart, which turned out to have an extensive collection of military history.  I came across this book, “A Ship To Remember: The Saga of the USS Hornet,” authored by Alexander R Griffith and…

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Chaperoning Fourth-Graders At the Nimitz Museum

My sons are grown now, but when my oldest was in fourth grade, history geek that I am, I jumped at the chance to be one of the chaperones as his class traveled to Fredericksburg, TX to tour the National Museum of the Pacific War (also known as the “Nimitz Museum”). The museum makes a special point…

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Let’s Celebrate “Remembrance Week!”

We’re approaching the 78th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, known more commonly as “D-Day” which took place on June 6, 1944. Here in the US there will be many stories in the mass media and even more on social media celebrating the heroic men who took part in the invasion. I’m sure it will…

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